Will you be giving thanks to the potato this Thanksgiving?

Potatoes are the subtle, understated root vegetable that quietly grace the table during Thanksgiving. Whether its one of the orange, white, brown, yellow, red, purple or blue variety they all offer a source of complex carbohydrate that are rich in Potassium, containing even more than a banana, and Vitamin C, about half as much as an orange. Potatoes range in size and sometimes shape but still offer a small amount of protein, containing about as much as a cup of milk, which provides 8 grams of protein as well as range of antioxidants, depending on the color. 

Growing up I never appreciated the potato. We ate them twice baked in the microwave ( an 80's delight), scalloped, mashed and fried and every year for Thanksgiving we had a potato sausage stuffing. 

So no matter which variety is your families favorite, of the hundreds of potato varieties there are, we wanted to share some of our favorite potato recipes. 

Grandma-Tini's Potato, Sage and Sausage Stuffing. A tradition passed on for generations in our family. I remember peeling and dicing the potatoes, an easy task and great way to get the kids involved in Thanksgiving prep! 


Sweet potato quinoa and kale fritters For my friends that are in love with the kale and quinoa craze I thought that this recipe is a beautiful combination of several super foods. All I can say is delish! 

Honey roasted sweet potatoes with honey cinnamon dip. This one deserves high accolades for turning the potato into a dessert side! Although I did not create the recipe, when I first read the recipe I fell immediately in love. 



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Pretty Perky Pumpkins fruit or vegetable?

This time of year is filled with the orange, yellow and brown hues of Fall. I love pumpkins and all the fun recipes that can be made with the seeds and the flesh. I have highlighted a weeks worth of our favorite recipes to keep you thinking about ways to incorporate the fruity festive pumpkin!

1. Pumpkin Nut butter: Mix up pumpkin pureed, almond butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Serve with English muffins, whole grain crackers or bagels. For recipe details visit:  http://www.pinterest.com/brandice5/abcd-eat-right/

2. One of my favorite classic recipes is: Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo. I tried to find my 12+ year old recipe and sadly could not locate the weathered recipe sheet. Here is the closest recipe that I could find to my original favorite.




3. Pumpkin Waffles - Our kids love waffles and I am always tweaking the recipes to make them a little healthier. This recipe was made with the help of my son Jackson!

4. Sweet and Salty Pumpkin seeds. Easy to make and fun to eat! 

5. Chipotle pumpkin black bean soup. A delicious take on a fall favorite soup. 




6. Pumpkin brownies - I cheated a little bit and used a box mix to save time. Normally I would add applesauce instead of oil but today I was feeling festive and wanted to swap out for pumpkin puree! 

7. Pumpkin smoothie- From one of my favorite go-to spots for healthy recipes- Super Healthy Kids, has a great recipe for a pumpkin smoothie! For breakfast, snack or even dessert. 


Have a great pumpkin week! 
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Why are bananas so good for you? What vitamins are in bananas?

One of the best "fast foods" is a banana! They are easy to eat, easy to bring along anywhere and fun (who hasn't tried to use the banana as a phone)!

Bananas are high in potassium which is great for muscles. They help with diarrhea which is great for our digestive system and may be beneficial for our hearts.

Bananas contain 3 grams of fiber and around 100 calories per medium sized bananas. Bananas have a thick skin and for this reason they do not have to be organic.

Bananas can be frozen and added to smoothies. They can be used to replace eggs in a recipe for baked goods. They can be layered in a sandwich with nut butter and they can be eaten all by themselves.

Bananas get a lot of press. They are touted as being super foods and then other websites say they are the worst food to eat. The important thing to remember about any food is to make sure and research the facts and make sure that there is supportive evidence behind the claims. Eating any food is all about moderation.

So next time you finish a sporting event or need a quick breakfast or snack, reach out for the yellow thick skinned fruit that will make your belly feel full and happy.

 

Another excerpt from the America's Dietitian healthy foods video series.

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Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com